1. Transition from Part C to Part B in Louisiana (Session # S3- 107 & 115)

2. Louisiana Transition from Part C to B or other appropriate community setting Why did Louisiana decide to implement a Transition Initiative?  Statewide replication of a process that had been piloted in one of the Local Programs to improve transition outcomes  To improve performance on indicator 8C and B 12 based on our 2008 data

3.  C8 A. Percent of children exiting Part C who have an IFSP with transition steps and services  C8 B. Percent of children exiting Part C and potentially eligible for Part B where notification to the LEA occurred  C8 C. Percent of children exiting Part C and potentially eligible for Part B where the transition conference occurred C8 A.C8 B.C8 C. YEAR200620072008200920062007200820092006200720082009 State Target 100% State Actual 86%93%94%94.5%100% 96%85%92%91.4%

4. 200620072008200920062007200820092006200720082009 State Target 100% State Actual 86%93%94%94.5%100% 96%85%92%91.4% Region 1 100%95% 100% 79%88%85% 2 100%98%100%93%100% 83%100%93% 3 100%91%100% 93%100% 4 50%98%88%100% 50%98% 97% 5 100% 92%100% 67%100%92%100% 6 91%87%100% 91%60%100% 7 92%82%67%100% 46%71%64% 8 83.5%71%93%100% 66.5%54%95%100% 9 96% 100% 90%94%100%

5.  B 12 Percent of children referred by Part C prior to age 3 who are found eligible for Part B, and who have an IEP developed and implemented by their third birthdays B12 YEAR 04-0505-0606-07 07-0808-09 State Target 100% State Actual 31.62%64.6%90.8% 95.41%81.15%

6. How did we get started? Conference call with the following persons to discuss a collaborative statewide transition initiative :  Part C Coordinator, Brenda B. Sharp  Part B Coordinator, Mary Louise Jones  Grace Kelly of the Southeast Regional Resource Center (SERRC)  Kathy Whaley of the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center(NECTAC) Technical Assistance

7. Purpose of the Transition Initiative  To ensure that children and their families have a smooth transition from Part C to Part B or other appropriate community services.

8. Goals of the Initiative  Explore each agency’s role and responsibility for transition  Assist families in exploring all options available to them  Understand federal and state regulations about transition  Understand indicators for the Annual Performance Plan Report for Part C and Part B related to transition

9. Goals of the Initiative  Support collaborative partnerships  Support key issues and barriers to successful transition  Have suggested dialog  Explore and share agency resources  To share the strengths

10. Outcome of the Transition Initiative  Establish guidelines for each local program to promote smooth transition  Determine specific tasks to be accomplished

11. Beginning the Process  Part B agency staff hold Preschool Special Education Update Meetings twice a year with participation from Part C agency staff  NECTAC and SERRC staff facilitated the initial meeting

12. Who provided Technical Assistance?  NECTAC -- Kathy Whaley  SERRC -- Grace Kelly  Facilitated the planning meetings and initial collaborative meeting  Helped local programs decide the most appropriate tools needed to assist in gathering information about their transition process

13. Outlining the process for the Local Programs Three main areas to focus on to improve the statewide transition process and promote interagency collaboration:  Local programs complete a self assessment  Local programs discuss the things that where working well and things that were considered barriers  Local programs develop a process of addressing specific strategies

14. Tools Used to Gather Data  Self Assessment for an Early Childhood Transition Infrastructure developed by the NECTAC in September 2008  Early Childhood Transition Project Form developed by NECTAC and SERRC in May 2009

15. Other Resources Used “Tools for Transition in Early Childhood: A Step by Step Guide for Agencies, Teachers and Families “ by Beth S. Rous & Rena A. Hallam  A copy of this book was provided to each local program to assist them with the process of addressing their specific issues.  Action plan document (in the appendix)

16. Who Participated in the Initial Meeting?  Part B State Preschool Staff  Part C State Office Staff  Part B District/Local Education Agencies  Part C Regional Coordinators and Community Outreach Specialist (COS)

17. The Initial Meeting  Presentation by Kathy Whaley(NECTAC) and Grace Kelly(SERRC) on:  An “Overview of Part C and Part B APR and Transition Requirements” and  An “Overview of Web –based Transition Resources”.  Presentation by a local program on:  Pilot project on Transition and  The process for assessing current transition practices, identifying issues and improving practices

18. The Initial Meeting  Kathy and Grace shared:  APR data (indicator 8--Part C & Indicator 12--Part B) with each local program relative to transition and  Information on how to use the data and how to complete the Self-Assessment document  Then:  Each local program met as a team

19. Team Discussions  The Self-Assessment Document  The Louisiana Early Childhood Transition Project Form  Other members in our region that we want to join this initiative  Preliminary plans for immediate next steps

20. Next Steps  Each local program was asked to :  Schedule their next meeting/try to meet at least quarterly  Share all completed documents with new team members  Solicit comments from the members who were not able to attend and update their documents as necessary  Use comments from the Self-Assessment and the Louisiana Early Childhood Transition Infrastructure to identify regional strengths/barriers

21. Follow-up Meetings  Suggested Agendas:  Break up into small work groups to develop action plans around the 8 areas identified on the Self- Assessment Document  Brainstorm barriers and  Use the “Recommended and Evidence-Based Practices to Support Transition to Inclusive Settings” document to identify strategies that the team can use to address areas of concern

22. Follow-up Meetings  Teams continue to meet quarterly to discuss their progress on the strategies listed on the action plan and update/revise the plan as needed

23. One Year Later  All the Local Teams are continuing to meet  Part C and Part B staff have developed closer working relationships  Some Local Teams have developed resource binders  Some Local Teams are still working on enhancing their working relationships

24. Anticipated Final Results  Children and their families have a smooth transition from Part C to Part B or other appropriate setting!  Improved results in Part C and Part B  Transition conferences are held  Transition plans will include steps and services  Evaluations are completed within 60 days of parental consent

25. Anticipated Final Results  IEPs are developed and implemented by the child’s third birthday  Services beginning on or before age 3  More collaboration between Part C and Part B

26. Links to Resource Documents  Link to Transition initiative: http://www.nectac.org/topics/transition/ectransitionta.asp  Link to needs assessment: http://www.nectac.org/~pdfs/topics/transition/TransitionSelf_Assessment_09_15_08. pdf  Book: Rous, B. & Hallam, R. (2006). Tools for transition in early childhood: A step-by-step guide for agencies, teachers, and families. Baltimore MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.  Facilitated Discussion Form (Contact presenter, NECTAC, SERRC for form)

27. Presenters: Brenda Sharp – DHH Part C Brenda.Sharp@LA.GOV Pam Sund – DHH Part C Pam.Sund@LA.GOV Mary Louise Jones – DOE Part B MaryLouise.Jones@LA.GOV

28. 28 5/2/2015 IN CONCLUSION Opportunities for interaction/ collaboration/ coordination exist at every step in the transition process AND Collaboration is necessary to ensure smooth transitions for children and families

29. State Sharing & Questions for the Presenters